Onion Pakora

I’ve had quite the taste for that crispy, crunchy, deep fried taste and texture. But living in an apt, anything more that 1/4″ inch of oil in a pan is pretty much out of the question.

Enter the air fryer. Again in an apt, one is limited in space, so countertop appliances are almost as rare as deep fryers. Enter the instapot air fryer lid. This allows me to air fry in my instapot. The surface area to fry is small, but as this is for two people, we’ll get by.

But I digress, On to the main event. Pakora!!!

From Wikipedia:

Pakora ,also called pakoda, pakodi, fakkura, bhajiya, bhajji, bhaji or ponako, is a fried snack (fritter), originating from South Asia. It is a popular snack across the Indian subcontinent, where it is served in restaurants and sold by street vendors. It is also often found in Indian restaurants as well as other South Asian restaurants such as Pakistani in the Western world.

Pakoras are created by choosing one or two main ingredients, such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, paneer, cauliflower, tomato, or chili pepper. They are also occasionally prepared with bread, buckwheat, groundnut, fish, or chicken. They are dipped in a batter made from gram flour (chickpea / garbanzo bean flour) and then deep-fried.

The most popular varieties include pyaaz pakora, made from onion, and aloo pakora, made from potato. Other variations include paalak pakora, made from spinach, and paneer pakora, made from paneer (soft cottage cheese).

When onions, on their own, are prepared in the same way, they are known as onion bajji. A variation of pakora made from gram flour, fenugreek leaves and salt is called “Fulavda”, popular preparation of “bhajiya” in Gujarat. Another variation is made with wheat flour, salt, and tiny bits of potato or onion (optional), is called noon bariya (nūn = salt) (Hindi: नूनबरिया), typically found in eastern Uttar Pradesh in India.

Pakoras are usually served as a snack or appetiser. They are also often served with masala chai to guests arriving to attend Indian wedding ceremonies, and are usually complemented with tamarind, chutney or raita. In the United Kingdom, pakoras are popular as a fast-food snack, available in restaurants that serve cuisines from the Indian subcontinent.

Onion Pakora in Air Fryer

A healthy version of a popular Indian Street food

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Rest Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Servings 8

Calories 37 kcal

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Ea Red Onion Peeled, Sliced thinly
• 1 Ea Yellow Onion Peeled, Sliced thinly
• 1 Ea Jalapeno or Serrano Pepper Seeded, Minced
• 1 Clove Garlic Peeled, Minced
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Tumeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2/3 cup Whole Wheat flour
• 3-6 tbsp water (as needed)
• Cooking Spray

Instructions

 

• Mix all veg and spices in a large bowl
• Add flour and water, mix to a stiff batter
• Bring the air fryer to 350
• Remove rack from air fryer and lube well with cooking spray
• Add 2 tbsp of batter per bahji. Add as many as you can to rack without touching

  (in a round fryer this is 2-3)
• Cook for 6-8 minutes, remove rack, lightly lube tops of bhaji's and flip
• Cook for additional 6-8 minutes, until crisp
• Drain on paper towel.

Notes

I'll use my instapot air fryer lid and rack for this.

This would go well with Raita as a dipping sauce

NOTE:  NEVER, NEVER, NEVER SPAY COOKING SPRAY INTO ANY APPLIANCE.

ALWAYS REMOVE THE RACK AND SPRAY AWAY FROM THE APPLIANCE.

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 74IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Air Fry, Bhaji, Onion

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